E-salary system for Qatar workers starts tomorrow

Qatar has launched one of its most significant labour reforms, which are designed to guarantee migrant workers’ wages.

“The protection system has the potential to be a positive because one of the common complaints among workers is not being paid adequately and/or on time”, said Mustafa Qadri, Gulf Migrant Rights Researcher at the human rights group.

Migrant workers in Qatar will begin receiving wage payments directly to their bank accounts beginning on Tuesday. Companies that fail to pay staff on time could be fined up to 6,000 Qatari riyals (Dh6,000), be banned from recruiting new staff – and its executives could be sent to jail.

This comes as Qatar has been under pressure by rights groups over rights abuse allegations by migrant workers.

One activist told the publication Migrant-Rights.org that the problem isn’t entirely with non-payment, but with the wrong amount, lack of overtime pay, and unfair deductions, like forcing migrant workers to pay for their own recruitment fees.

Inspection teams will monitor the new system and identify any firms not complying with the regulations.

Qatar’s labour ministry said in May 2015 that WPS is part of the “significant changes” it will introduce as a response to criticism of its labour practices, which have been under the scanner since the Gulf state was awarded hosting rights for 2022 Federation Internationale de Football Association World Cup. Amnesty still has concerns about what will happen following the deadline today.

“The government now has a benchmark it can apply to business”.

The Wage Protection System (WPS) had originally been scheduled to start this week but has been delayed as the government said the timeframe put in place for its implementation had been too short.

“Overall, the proposed changes are welcome, but they are of limited scope, have yet to materialise and it’s questionable whether they will come actually into force”, added Qadri.

Qadri called “kafala” the “elephant in the room” and said the changes being introduced on August 18 should open the door to further reforms.

Since being controversially chosen to host the tournament, the desert nation has been criticised over workers” safety, late and incomplete wages and the so-called “kafala’ system under which companies may stop employees from leaving the country.

He referred specifically to the ending of the controversial kafala system which has been likened by some critics to modern-day slavery.

Qatar has pledged by the end of this year to abolish the system under which employers retained passports of workers, who are not allowed to change jobs.